1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wastewater treatment systems and methods that utilize a water evaporator for separating wastewater from salts, minerals, and/or oil and/or gas.
2. The Relevant Technology
As natural gas is extracted from a ground well, a significant quantity of water accompanies the natural gas. This water is typically separated from the natural gas at a location proximate to the well head and then stored in an adjacent tank. Because of contaminants within the water, the water is typically trucked to a licensed disposal facility where it is deposited in a lined pond for evaporation. This same operation also typically occurs in the production of oil wells. That is, a significant quantity of water will often accompany extracted oil. The water and oil are deposited in a settling tank where the water and oil are separated. The water is then typically trucked to a licensed disposal facility where it is deposited in a lined pond for evaporation. Evaporation of the collected water is typically enhanced by sprinkler systems that spray the water into the air over the pond.
Although the above process is functional, there are significant costs in having to repeatedly ship the water to the disposal facility. There are also significant costs charged by the disposal facility to accept the water. Furthermore, trying to dispose of water through an evaporation pond can be problematic. For example, under windy conditions the sprinkler system cannot be operated due to the risk of non-evaporated fluid being carried by the wind onto the surrounding area. Furthermore, during colder or high humidity conditions, evaporation may fall below a desired evaporation rate.
Accordingly, what is needed are systems that eliminate or minimize the above problems or shortcomings.